Flow and Catch ... related?

[dawhunt]

Hi everyone,I think the flow has a lot to do with catching fish.When the current dies off at Reed Island the bite seems to shutdown.As soon as we get some decent current running the bite picks almost right away.I've also noticed that the early bite is mostly inside or closer to shore if you will but the afternoon bite when its brighter out the bite is further out towards the channel.I've noticed this everyday fishing up here.On cloudy days the bite seems to be scattered all over not localised(spelling sorry)has anyone else noticed this.?? I believe that the sturgeon do bite better when theres current also.By the way thats an interesting site you gave us,when I have a little more time tonight, I'm going to go thru it and see whats all there.Its in my favorites now.
You know it used to be there was # you could call at the dam and they would tell you if they were going to let the water thru and what time they were going to do it,I wonder if there still is that #,does anyone know ???
Bob images/icons/confused.gif

[ 04-27-2001: Message edited by: dawhunt ]

[ 04-27-2001: Message edited by: dawhunt ]

[Pete]

It seems to me like the salmon below Bonneville have been more willing to bite when the river is rising. This also seems true to a lesser extent with sturgeon. I'm I imagining this? What is your experience?

Well, since the flow is determined by some guy's hand wrapped around a control lever, I started looking for information that would tell me ahead of time when the river would be going up (or down). Turns out it's confidential information. Here's the response I got, if you're interested.

"I received your request for a source you could use regularly to find anticipated daily average flow information for Columbia River dams."

"Unfortunately we cannot release project outflow information for legal reasons related to electrical industry deregulation issues. You may find some helpful information by visiting the site listed below, however. This site will give you information on average inflows."

"The River Forecast Center issues inflow forecasts. There is a lot of information available at this site, but what you likely want would be found under Long-Range Daily Forecast, near the bottom. Here is the website address:" http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/r_fcst

"In addition, the following site will let you study historical outflows, which could be helpful:" http://www.nwd-wc.usace.army.mil/ftppub/data_request/

"The Portland District operates three dams on the lower Columbia River: John Day, The Dalles and Bonneville dams. If you would like to get more information on our dams, fisheries work or the Corps of Engineers in general, I suggest you explore our website," https://www.usace.army.mil/

"If you have more questions, please don't hesitate to contact us again."
Sincerely,
Dawn M. Edwards, APR
Assistant Chief
Public Affairs Office

[Joe Schwab]

This has always intrigued me. When I first started fishing springers in the early 1970s I noticed the catch would always be better on the weekdays specifically midweek and taper down on the weekends. One theory the old timers had was that on Monday the powerhouses started generating more power as most businesses started up on Mondays. Thus more water was released downriver throug hthe turbines. Less power consumed on weekends meant less water released. Does this sound reasonable? I have since always tried to schedule my trips mid week and avoid the weekends. Think about it.

[GoFish]

I haven't gotten to fish that much at Reed Is. this year but the observations fit what I experienced.

[FishinMission]

Guys....guys...guys...c'mon here. We're talking TIDEShere. I fished Washougal the whole Columbia season and hammered. Best time was at the top of the incoming..and the "turn" out. Like clockwork. Yeah...ya might get lucky and pop one at some point in the tide..but High Slack was the rippin time in the Washougal area. There were so many days I saw people leaving at the best time!! images/icons/grin.gif

[Joe Schwab]

Yeh, yeh, yeh, who don't know tides. They are there every day but tell me why the midweek tides outfish the weekend tides. Been there, done that. So high tides are good at Washougal. Low tides are good at Kalama, Mid tides good at Westport. Whats the point? Of course you fish the tides for the area you know the best. images/icons/rolleyes.gif

[FishinMission]

Hook...You musn't assume everyone here reading these posts knows to fish the tides...and besides....when I fish the Clackamas for instance.....I don't consider the tides to be a factor. It all depends on where you're fishing. I know the area where Pete's fishing...depending on the tide...you may see NO current...a nice SLOW flow...or hard and fast current. If you ask me..this is the reason he saw different flows. Not the water being released from the dam.

[Pete]

Fish, you are partially correct about where I've been fishing, but I've also been up in the gorge along Ives and Pierce Islands. That's where I was mainly interested about the effect of dam outflow. Certainly the further down river one gets the more important tides are, but it's easy to find out in advance when the tides will be. If you're at Ives Island it's more important to know what the Corps of Engineers is doing. From their reply to me, it sounds like they aren't talking.

BTW, you probably saw me leaving at least once just as the tide was peaking. If I don't pick my daughter up at day care before they close, they charge me $5 a minute. At that rate I can't afford to be too late. I sure would rather not miss the best part of the day, but heck...

[FishinMission]

O.K....Pete..I thought you were talking explicitly about the Reed Island area. Of course..if you're fishing right below Bonneville...and they decide to dump water you're gonna feel it. But I just don't know about the flow thing. My buds that fish the Willamette..say...that the salmon bite better when there's "flow"...as in current. Seemed to me that the bite increased with the slower current on the Columbia. How was it up there near Bonneville??

[Pete]

My observation is that more fish were caught when the flow was higher. Also, the number of fish through the counter went up when the flow went up. I don't know that the bite was better because of higher flow, but I think more fish got to look at a hook at higher flows.

[Firedog]

been my experience that when the water comes up the bite dies and the fish start moving. You do run a good chance of finding a biter in that big of # of fish moving but the overall percentage is low. In My opinion. I have never done well on a rising river.

[Chris Sessions]

My observation was the same as Pete's. At first light we used smaller lead and the current and bite was a little slower. About 8 or 9 am or when they start generating power we switched from 6 or 8oz to 10 or 12 oz to stay in the zone and the bite improved. Sundays have historically been slower bite days on the lower Columbia and the most popular theory for the cause is the reduced flow from the dams.

[FishinMission]

Guys and gals...I have to agree with Firedog..I can't vouch for what was happening up there at Bonneville because I stayed away from there. What I did observe in the Washougal area...was that when the river was running hard (what I consisered to be the outgoing tide)...biters were few and far between. The incoming (slower flow) resulted in more activity...but not much. And when the tide neared high, and high slack....you could expect the rods to fold. It was like clockwork. Did you guys up there at Boneville actually see them dumping more water?? I know I'm getting a little flak here about tides....but some of these posts regarding increased flow are co-inciding with what was happening with the tides. I do know that when I'm fishing say...the Clack...when the waters rising...it's slow. Then I remember a long time ago...far far away when I first started fishing the Columbia in August...it seemed to me the flow was harder on the weekends...but I really didn't consider the tides to be a factor in the Washougal area. Live and learn...Believe me..THEY ARE.

[finclipped]

I noticed the same thing at Bonneville as everyone else. Morning flow was light and fishing was sporadic. As the flows increased the fishing picked up.

[WheresMyBobber]

I think there's a lesson to learn at OC this year. There's a bunch of fish up there, but not much current, and not very many people are catching fish. The same thing happened in 1992 when we had very low water and little current.

Look what happens in Tidewater when the tide stops running out - the fish stop biting just like clockwork.

My opinion is that current has a big part of when/why salmon bite, but all I've been able to figure out for sure is they bite much better when there's a decent current. (or at a tide change)

[FishinMission]

Amazing, huh?? All in all..I have to think that the current and the river dictate the actions of the salmon. Fast current in the Columbia seemed to kill the bite for me...slower was better. When I fish for the Coho in late August..the water's basically the same as it is now...as far as the level's concerned. Has anyone tried Coho tactics for the springers?? I thought about it...but got sidetracked in the Columbia.